Características Microscópicas.

problems?

(A)Language

She could not understand people at work

In the tea room sometimes when she could not understand customers’ orders, she would ask them to repeat what they had said. She said when she asked about three times, the customers looked angry, and she had to ask for help from the manager. With some customers’ impatient reactions, she would just ignore them. As we shall see it was similar to Rita’s reaction toward some unfriendly customers at her work (J/int.fin/29sep06). After she had worked in the tea room for about 5 months, she said ‘I, now I still can’t understand, there are some different accents… some customers, like live, from different areas, sometimes I really can’t understand their saying. So, I was very worried.’ Luckily, the manager would comfort her and tell her that sometimes she could not understand customers, either (J/int.2/19may06/p9).

Although it was generally easier to understand her fellow students’ English than native speakers outside the school, she found it was easier to understand Asian

students’ accents than European students’. ‘It’s like each Asian people can understand very easily… even they say different accents, anyway, same Asian accents can understand….but some European people, for example Spanish, it was difficult to…’ (J/int.2/19may06/p9-10). This situation was also described by Linda, Rita and Sharon. However she seemed not to worry too much, as she added ‘but I think it doesn’t matter’ (J/int.2/19may06/p10). She also mentioned that students at school did not use slang, which was one of the reasons that she could understand them better than people outside the school.

According to Jenny, one of her colleagues in the tea room spoke very quickly and it was hard for her to understand that colleague. Luckily, she said that colleague did not mind repeating what she had said. She also said that it was easier to talk with just one person than two together. If she talked to one of her colleagues, she could understand, ‘because I already knew what, what they are talking about’. And if she was with two other people she found it difficult to join in the conversation. ‘Sometimes even I, I never get what, what we are talking about.’ ‘because quite really speaking quickly, and fast’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p26). It is probably because when only one person talked to Jenny, this other person needed to make sure that Jenny understood what they were talking about; also in that situation Jenny had more opportunities to ask for clarification or repetition. When there was another person or more joining in the conversation, she was easily neglected and without her participation the conversation could still continue.

At work some of Jenny’s colleagues were teenagers and according to her, she could not understand what they said; she called them ‘teenagers’ words.’ ‘I think the old people say is very correct type say, but teenagers really…it’s like not English for me.’ (J/int.2/19may/p10&49). Or sometimes her colleagues would use slang, which made it difficult for her to understand. When she could not understand the words or slang that her colleagues used, she would ask them the meanings and learned them (J/int.2/19may/p10).

Others could not understand her

Jenny’s problems with English were not only about being unable to understand others, but also about not being understood by others. However, although native speakers could not understand her, the teachers and the students in school could understand her. ‘They can guess my English.’ (J/int.1/18nov06/p7). Linda also said

the same. ‘I can talk teacher, but I couldn’t talk like real English people.’ ‘Because the teachers really can understand quickly what I am saying, but it was different, so…’(J/int.fin/29sep06/p19). If people could not understand her, she would try one more time, ‘one more time, but after that they can’t understand, I just give up, because there is no way’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p21).

She could only say ‘yes’ or ‘no’

When she first arrived in the UK, her English was not very good. ‘The first host family, just like first time we, we introduced our, us each other, and then actually, I can’t, I couldn’t speak very well, just if they asked something, I could only say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or some one word or two words, like that, so..’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p15). She said it took her a long time to reply or say a long sentence, and she was worried that the host family would get bored with her. Therefore, she did not really talk a lot with them; she would just watch TV and then go back to her room (J/int.fin/29sep06). She also mentioned she could not understand her first family, ‘probably I used to learn, like different accents, not like English accent’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p12). She thought she had to try to change to a British accent. In order to improve the situation, she tried to study hard, read books and watch TV to improve her listening comprehension.

She could not talk to native speakers

Like Linda, Jenny did not feel easy talking to ‘foreigners’, by which she means native speakers. ‘When I talk to foreigners I have more tension, so couldn’t speak English.’ She said it was because ‘foreigners’ had ‘different appearance’ (J/int.1/18nov05/p8). However ‘close foreigner’ was alright for her, like the teachers in school, ‘teacher is very comfortable for me’ but not those she met first time (J/int.1/18nov05/p8). When she met people for the first time, she wanted to speak English correctly (J/int.2/19may06).

(B)Interpersonal relationship

Bad relationship

Jenny did not get along well with the second host family. In our informal chat in a café, she told me she did not feel comfortable with the landlady. The landlady

blamed Jenny for not cleaning the oven, but in fact, according to Jenny it was the landlady who did not clean it. She also did not feel comfortable about the way her landlady talked to her. ‘When I speak to, she wants, when she wants to speak to me, she not speak directly. She does, does speak around, others was directly speak to me.’ ‘Uncomfortable feeling’ (J/c/13jan06/p2). Once, when Jenny had a friend to the house, the landlady asked the friend to pass a message to Jenny even when she was there with them. At that time she was thinking of moving to another place. Another problem Jenny had with that landlady was ‘rules’ in the house. ‘She usually gave me some rules. You can’t do that, and you, you haven’t to go this, like, she, she like she’s habit is making some rules for me.’ ‘I really mind…I really felt very uncomfortable.’ (J/int.2/19may06/p19). Her attitude towards the landlady was to avoid her and she also decided to move to another place (J/int.fin/29sep06). Jenny told me she did not want to talk to the landlady and stayed in her room a lot of time. Apparently, she did not have much interaction with the landlady. She did not make friends with her colleagues at a fast-food restaurant and a hotel. ‘We were not really interested in each other.’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p25). It apparently affected her opportunities to use English.

Lazy colleagues at work

In her last interview, Jenny said some of her colleagues were lazy, and did not like doing the washing up. She was angry with them, but she did not say anything. ‘I really angry because… I don’t know. In Korea, I really would tell them, but here, this job is quite important for me, then I don’t, I want to get along with everything. So, I thought just I’d better do, do myself.’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p31). She also mentioned that a new member of staff was lazy and tried to take charge of her. Unfortunately, she was the manager’s sister-in-law, so she could not say anything. ‘I really angry about that, but just let … because I, I have got only like one month more, I, I am not working any more, so I just patient just one month.’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p31). Her attitude was similar to Linda’s, choosing to be quiet although in her mind she was not happy.

They did not want to speak English

In school during the break time, students from the same country usually spoke their own language together. ‘They seem don’t like to speak English during the break

time.’ (Je/int.1/18nov05/p16). Jenny also told me that most of the colleagues she met in the fast-food restaurant and the hotel were from Poland, and most of the time they were talking to each other in Polish. ‘…but every, every people who work together, they are all Polish, and they talk all Polish. They didn’t help at all to learn English.’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p24). ‘Well… except me, most people were Polish and they didn’t want to speak English. They usually speak Polish. Well, I don’t, I didn’t enjoy it.’ (J/int.2/19may06/p46-47).

It was not easy to make friends with native speakers

Although she had some native speaking friends, she did not think it was easy to get to know local native speakers and make friends with them. ‘Hardly ever, have no chance to meet other foreigners or English.’ (J/int.1/18nov05/p18). ‘..we have no chance at all…. we only have a chance to meet our students’ (J/int.2/19may/p44). ‘…it’s my case really lucky everybody said. Because they know and I think so, it’s impossible to meet actually. So, like some of students didn’t, never met any local people here, they just say their family. So…no chance.’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p60).

She did not think native speakers were interested in making friends with foreigners. She thought they were ‘close mind’ and ‘they have not enough patience to listen.’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p61). As we shall see, Linda and Sharon had similar opinions.

Nevertheless, native speakers should not be the only ones to be complained about. ‘When we go to night club, usually just enjoy each other in our group’ (J/int.2/19may06/p17). I noticed this kind of situation when I went to a night club with them. The group of students from the language school were sitting in one corner together, drinking and chatting within the group. One or two in the group did not talk much, and were just drinking most of the time (J/nc/03mar06).

(C)Topical issues

Jokes, she could not laugh at

Sometimes customers would tell Jenny jokes, but she could not understand them. However she laughed although she could not really understand or she did not think the jokes were funny. ‘the gentleman gave, give me a little joking. But I can’t understand, but the situation I have to laugh.’ ‘Sometimes I really try to understand

also, but I can’t laugh a lot at all, because it’s not funny to me.’ (J/int.fin/29sep06/p30). The difficulty she had might be because of the linguistic problem or cultural background difference. Linda also mentioned that she could not understand British humour.

4.1.7 What kinds of effect did these interpersonal contacts have on